Metallic edge members for skis



p 1968 Y B. FOUILLET 3AL949 METALLIC EDGE MEMBERS FOR SKIS Filed Sept. 16, 1966 iy/iy w/ y? BY United States Patent 3,401,949 METALLIC EDGE MEMBERS FOR SKIS Bernard Fouillet, Sillans, Isere, France Filed Sept. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 579,886 2 Claims. (Cl. 28011.13)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An edge member for skis comprises successive straight sections of rectangular cross-section disposed in line with each other with narrow slit-like gaps, and connected with each other by resilient lateral arcuate sections each bridging a gap in the succession, these arcuate members, also of substantially rectangular cross-section but of smaller height than the straight section, being disposed laterally on one vertical side of the successive straight sections with one of their horizontal sides flush with the adjacent horizontal side thereof so as to obtain a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional profile. Lateral lugs may be provided between the successive arcuate sections.

This invention relates to metallic edge members which are commonly used to protect the lower lateral edges of skis.

A problem which has been encountered with such edge members is that they impair the flexibility of the ski to which they are secured. In order to protect the lower portion of the lateral sides of the ski these edge members should be of noticeable height and they are therefore rather stiff.

It has been proposed to increase the flexibility of such an edge member by means of spaced vertical incisions which reduce its cross-section. The disadvantage is that the bending stresses applied to the edge members are localized in the portions comprising the incisions where the metal. is submitted to fatigue phenomena which are liable to cause rupture of the edge member. Further if the incisions increase the flexibility of the edge member, they are without any noticable effect on its possibilities of elastic extension under the action of a tractive force. Now an edge member is secured to the lower portion of the ski, i.e. in the portions thereof in which the fibers of the material which constitutes the ski undergo a longitudinal extension when the ski flexes in the usual manner. The edge members tend to hinder this extension of the lower longitudinal fibers of the ski and therefore either impair the flexibility thereof or loosen the screws or like fastening members by means of which they are secured to the ski. It may further be remarked that in the case of skis made of glass fibers this quite reduced extensibility of the edge members increases the compressive stresses in the upper portion of the ski and that bodies made of such fibers are more resistant to tractive stresses than to compressive stresses.

In order to avoid this disadvantage it has further been proposed to divide each edge member into a number of successive individual sections separated from each other by a narrow gap. But while such a discontinuous edge member has obviously no substantial influence on the flexibility of the ski, its protective capacity is reduced since it no more forms a unitary metallic reinforcement extending along the whole length of the ski. Further if the sections are of relatively substantial length they still impair in a noticeable manner the flexibility of the ski and create weak points where the bending stresses are localized, while if the sections are short, their fixation to the ski is long, tedious and expensive. This kind of discontinuous edge member may be somewhat improved by providing sliding joints between the successive sections, but such joints are complicated and delicate, and their mechanical strength is quite reduced.

ice

An object of the present invention is to provide a metallic edge member for skis which will be continuous along the length of the ski and which nevertheless will not impair the flexibility of the ski.

Another object of this invention is to provide a continuous metallic edge member for skis which will be elastically extensible longitudinally at least as easily as the lower portion of the ski.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide such a longitudinally extensible edge-member which will not become laterally deformed and will on the contrary remain perfectly straight when extended.

In accordance with the present invention an edge member for skis comprises a one-piece elongated metallic part formed of a series of successive straight sections disposed in line with each other and connected with each other by intermediate resilient arcuate sections. Such an edge member is continuous in this sense that each straight section is integral with the next one, and when it is submitted to a longitudinal force, the curvature of the intermediate arcuate sections decreases or increases, this deformation corresponding to an extension or to a contraction of the edge member as a whole. Further this extension or contraction has no effect on the orienation of the straight sections which remain perfectly in line with each other.

In the annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of an edge member according to the present invention.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sections taken along lines 22 and 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmental bottom plan view of a ski having an edge member of the kind of FIGS. 1-3.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sections taken along lines 5-5 and 6-6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a fragmental side view of the ski according to FIGS. 4-6.

FIGS. 8 to 10 are diagrammatical side views of the ski respectively in the free unloaded state, in the operating state and in an exaggeratedly curved state.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of an edge member according to the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 the edge member, generally referenced 20, and which for convenience has been illustrated at the upturned position, essentially comprises a number of straight sections 21, of substantially square cross-section in the example illustrated, in line with each other, but separated from each other by narrow gaps 22, and which are connected by intermediate resilient lateral arcuate sections 23, the whole member being manufactured as a single part, preferably of steel. The arcuate sections 23 are of reduced thickness or height with respect to the straight sections 21 and one of their sides (which is to become the upper side when the edge member is secured to the ski) is in the same horizontal plane as the corresponding side or upper side of the straight sections 21. It results from this arrangement that the lower side of the arcuate sections 23 is vertically spaced from the lower side of the straight sections 21, the vertical distance being referenced a in FIGS. 2 and 3.

It will be understood that the edge'member 2G is easily extensible longitudinally by resilient deformation of the arcuate sections 23. Further the reactive forces which these arcuate sections then exert on the straight sections do not create a torque liable to distort the alignment of the straight sections. Considering for instance the straight section 21 illustrated from end to end in FIG. 1 and the two arcuate sections 23 associated thereto, it is obvious that the whole is symmetrical with respect to a transverse plane intersecting section 21 midway of its ends and that therefore when the edge member is extended, the reactive forces exerted by sections 23 cannot cause section 21 to be deviated angularly about any axis.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2 the arcuate sections 23 which correspond to a straight section 21 merge into a common lateral lug 24 which is centrally disposed with respect to the section 21 under consideration, the upper and lower sides of these lugs being in the respective horizontal planes of the upper and lower sides of the arcuate sections 23. Each lateral lug 24 has a countersunk hole 25. It is besides to be noted that the gaps or slits 22 which separate the successive straight sections 21 are oblique with respect to the lateral sides thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 4, which is a bottom plan view of a ski provided with edge members according to FIGS. 13, and to the cross-sections of FIGS. and 6, it will be seen that the ski comprises a main body 26, as for instance of glass fibers agglomerated by a plastics, this body being lined with layers such as 27 and 28 of an appropriate plastic material having a quite smooth surface and, more particularly for the lower layer 27, a quite low coefiicient of friction. These layers are secured to the body of the ski by the conventional means which need not be described here, since they form no part of the present invention.

A groove 29 of rectangular cross-section is cut along each of the lower edges of the ski, before mounting the lower layer 27. The horizontal width b of groove 29 exceeds the difference between the maximum width c (FIG. 1) of edge member and the thickness d of the lateral layer 28.

The edge member 20 is disposed against the horizontal bottom of groove 29 with the outer vertical side of straight sections 21 flush with the outer side of the corresponding lateral layer 28. Screws are then mounted in holes 25 to secure member 20 in position and layer 27 is applied against the lower side of the ski body 26. As indicated the thickness e of layer 27 is equal to the difference in height a (FIGS. 2 and 3) between sections 21 and 23 in such manner that the outer side of layer 27 is in the same horizontal plane as the lower side of sections 21. Further the width of layer 27 is such that its lateral edge engages sections 21 (FIGS. 5 and 6).

The edge members are mounted on the ski S while same is in the state of rest of FIG. 8 or state of neutral elasticity, i.e. the ski being quite free from any stress. The ski is then slightly curved with its concavity facing downwardly. The edge members are so disposed that their separating gaps 22 are inclined upwardly and towards the leading end of the ski, as indicated by the arrow 31 (FIG. 7).

When the ski S is under load, it is substantially straight,

as indicated in FIG. 9. In other words, starting from the position of FIG. 8, it has flexed downwardly. This deformation entails an extension of the lower fibers of the ski body 26 (FIGS. 5 and 6) and of course of the edge members. Owing to their longitudinal extensibility the latter do not noticeably hinder this extension which may take place almost freely, the Width of the gaps 22 increasing slightly. The ski S may even sag to a slight extent as indicated in FIG. 10 without this creating abnormal stresses in the securing screws 30.

In the modified embodiment of FIG. 11 the arcuate sections 23 are of relatively short length longitudinally of the edge member and they are thus spaced from the central lugs 24. In order to avoid the presence of too important void spaces between the lower layer 27 of plastics and the bottom of groove 29, the edge member is formed with plain intermediate portions 32 which project laterally between each central lug 24 and the adjacent arcuate sections 23, these portions 32 having of course the same thickness as the lugs and the arcuate sections.

The edge members according to the invention may be manufactured by first rolling a blank in the form of a bar having the general L-shaped section illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, by drawing the rolled bar to the exact dimensions required, by punching the limb of smallest thickness to form the arcuate sections and the lugs, and then by cutting the slit-like gaps 22 at an inclination for the righthand side of the ski, and at the reverse inclination for the left-hand side thereof. 2

What is claimed is:

1. An edge member for skis comprising successive straight sections disposed in line with each other and separated from each other by slit-like gaps, said straight sections being substantially rectangular in cross-section with a flat upper side, a flat lower side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side, and with said upper side and said lower side situated at a vertical distance from each other which defines for said straight sections a substantially constant height; and resilient lateral arcuate sections each connecting a straght section with the next one, said arcuate sections also being of substantially rectangular cross-section with a fiat upper side and a flat lower side situated at a vertical distance from each other which defines for said arcuate sections a substantially constant height, substantially smaller than said height of said straight sections, and said arcuate sections being disposed on said first lateral side of said straight sections, each to bridge one of said slit-like gaps, with the upper side of said arcuate sections substantially flush with the upper side of straight sections so as to determine with said straight sections a substantially inverted L-shaped cross-sectional profile.

2. An edge member for skis comprising successive straight sections disposed in line with each other and separated from each other by slit-like gaps, said straight sections being substantially rectangular in cross-section with a flat upper side, a flat lower side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side, and with said upper side and said lower side situated at a vertical distance from each other which defines for said straight sections a substantially constant height; and resilient lateral arcuate sections each connecting a straight section with the next one, said arcuate sections also being of substantially rectangular crosssection with a flat upper side and a flat lower side situated at a vertical distance from each other which defines for said arcuate sections a substantially constant height substantially smaller than said height of said straight sections, said arcuate sections being disposed on said first lateral side of said straight sections, each to bridge one of said slit-like gaps, with the upper side of said arcuate sections substantially flush with the upper side of said straight sections so as to determine with said straight sections a substtantially inverted L-shaped cross-sectional profile, and each of said straight sections being formed substantially centrally on said first lateral side thereof with a laterally projecting lug having a flat upper side substantially flush with the upper side of said straight sections and a fiat lower side in the same plane as the lower side of said arcuate sections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,743,113 4/1956 Griggs.

FOREIGN PATENTS 146,983 9/ 1936 Austria.

1,281,839 12/1961 France.

208,765 5/1940 Switzerland.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner. 

